The Alliance for Children's Rights

National Champion for Children

Kevin Reilly
President of Entertainment
Fox Broadcasting Company

The Francis M. Wheat
Community Service Award
Gibson Dunn & Crutcher, LLP

Honorary Co-Chairs
Shelli & Irving Azoff
Megan & Peter Chernin
Megan & Peter Rice

Dinner Co-Chairs
Susan Friedman                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     Leslie Gilbert-Lurie
Cliff Gilbert-Lurie
Sue Naegle
Toni Schulman

Honorary Committee
Katie McGrath & J.J. Abrams
Barbara & Peter Benedek
Lauren & Lloyd Braun
Ernie Del
Zooey Deschanel
Nancy Dubuc
Leah & Sam Fischer
Randy Freer
Bob Gersh
Ann & Jim Gianopulos
Karen Mack & Russell Goldsmith
Robert Greenblatt
Marc Gurvitz
Ted Harbert
Ellen & Tom Hoberman
Katie Jacobs
Marilyn Jones & Mitch Kaplan
Debbee Klein
Howard Klein
Steve Lafferty
John Landgraf
Hugh Laurie
Seth MacFarlane
Nancy & Greg Meidel
David Miner
Steve Mosko
Andrea & David Nevins
Jeanne & Gary Newman
Nicole & Sean Perry
Gavin Polone
Katherine Pope
Anthony & Jeanne Pritzker               Family Foundation
Marissa Devins & Matt Rice
Rick Rosen
Ande & Bruce Rosenblum
Michael Rosenfeld
Shannon & Michael Rotenberg
Andrea & Peter Roth
Jessica Harper & Tom Rothman
Carl Schuster
Eric Shanks
Julia Franz & Chris Silbermann
Molly & Jay Sures
Nina Tassler
Jeff Wachtel
Dana & Matt Walden
Ellen & Ken Ziffren                   

About Last Year’s Event: On March 10th, The Alliance’s 18th Annual Dinner raised an astonishing $1.5 million to continue protecting the rights of impoverished and abused children and youth in Los Angeles . Comedian and host of “The Price is Right” Drew Carey employed his humor and wit as this year’s Master of Ceremonies.

Skip Brittenham partner at Ziffren Brittenham, LLP, and wife Heather Thomas actress and activist were presented with the National Champions for Children award for their dedication to improving communities in need. Daughter Kristina Brittenham gave a touching speech while acknowledging her parent’s role in her life.

Linda Johnson Rice, chairman of Johnson Publishing Company, Inc., home of Ebony and Jet magazines , graciously accepted the Francis M. Wheat Community Service award and shared her own personal story of being adopted. Special guest speaker Suzanne de Passe, CEO of de Passe Entertainment Group, former President of Motown Productions and personal friend, presented Linda with this award.

The Alliance’s Youth Council of former foster youth were in attendance to cheer on speakers Tyerra Boyd and Mike Jones, both Alliance clients with amazing stories of hardships and triumphs.

Alliance Board Chair Steve Merenberg and Chair-Elect Bart Williams, reminded the room of the importance of ensuring the continuation and quality of the critical service The Alliance provides to L.A.’s most vulnerable children.

Dinner Chairs Cliff Gilbert-Lurie and Sue Naegle thanked everyone for making it a record breaking night and even sang a song in Skip’s honor.

Attendees included Harrison Ford, Calista Flockhart, Diane Keaton, Jack McGee, Amy Yasbeck, Dick Wolf, Norman Lear, Stacey Snider, Tom Rothman, Jim Gianopulos, Jeffrey Katzenberg, Tom Bezucah, Jim Berkus, Chaz Ebert and many others.

Special thanks to our incredible Dinner Committee, Kristina Brittenham, Susan Friedman, Leslie Gilbert-Lurie, Sean Perry, Phil Rudolph and Toni Schulman.
Thank you again to all the generous sponsors and dinner volunteers!

About this year’s event:

Master of Ceremonies
Jane Lynch

The Alliance’s 20th Anniversary Dinner Gala on March 1 raised over 1.2 million dollars to help impoverished and abused children in Los Angeles county.

More than 100,000 children have been served by The Alliance since its beginning and last night, The Alliance felt the warm glow of appreciation while honoring Kevin Reilly with the National Champion for Children Award.

The Alliance was also thrilled to award law firm Gibson Dunn with the Francis M. Wheat Community Service Award.

Emcee Jane Lynch filled the room with laughter, while FOX’s “New Girl” Zooey Deschanel gave a captivating musical performance.

Sadness and joy brimmed throughout the evening as Alliance clients Darnell Cates, The Perry Family, and Chidoze Eze told their stories of struggle and triumph.

The generosity of our donors and supporters will change the lives of so many children and youth in Los Angeles, and we look forward to another 20 years. In the meantime, please enjoy looking at our Tribute Journal.
2012 SPONSORS
Angel
Fox
Noelle & Dick Wolf

Platinum
Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP
Occidental Petroleum Corp

Diamond
Ahdoot & Wolfson, P.C.
The John W. Carson Foundation
Leslie & Cliff Gilbert-Lurie
Karen Mack & Russell Goldsmith
Logan
Munger, Tolles & Olson LLP
swatfame truth in fashion
Ziffren Brittenham LLP

Pearl
Nancy & Donald de Brier

Emerald
Shelli & Irving Azoff
CBS
City National Bank
DreamWorks Animation
HBO
Irell & Manella LLP
Marilyn Jones & Mitch Kaplan
O’Melveny & Myers LLP
Sidley Austin LLP
Warner Bros. Television

Special tables for our
Youth Council have been
sponsored by Chernin Entertainment,
Katie Jacobs & Lifetime

Ruby
3 Arts Entertainment
Richard Appel & Mike Henry/
The Cleveland Show
Capital Group Companies
Creative Artist Agency
Del Shaw Moonves Tanaka
Finkelstein & Lezcano
Ernst & Young LLP
International Creative Management
The Jack in the Box Foundation
Yasmine Delawari Johnson & Matthew Johnson
Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP
Alison Whalen & Steve Marenberg
McDermott Will & Emery LLP
National Geographic
NBC Universal
Paradigm
Anthony & Jeanne Pritzker
Family Foundation
Resnick Family Foundation
Toni & John Schulman
Leslie & Carl Schuster
Sony Pictures Entertainment
Ambassador & Mrs. Robert Tuttle
United Talent Agency
Wasserman Foundation
WME
Young President’s Organization

Sapphire
Arnold & Porter
Karen Johnson & Tom Appleton
Arent Fox LLP
Benson Family Foundation
Bryan Cave LLP
Barbara Grushow Bujold &
Manny Bujold
Peggy Jo & Jim Clark
Dickstein Shapiro LLP
Susan & Alan Friedman
The Gersh Agency
Greenberg Glusker
Hansen, Jacobson, Teller, Hoberman,
Newman, Warren, Richman, Rish &
Kaller, LLP
Hogan Lovells US LLP
Hunton & Williams LLP
Jerry Bruckheimer Films
Kibre & Horwitz LLP
Kinsella Weitzman Iser Kump &
Aldisert, LLP
Kirkland & Ellis LLP
Ligia & Dennis Korn
Latham & Watkins LLP
Lyn & Norman Lear
Lionsgate
Mayer Brown LLP
Wendy & Barry Meyer
Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP
Paul Hastings LLP
Philpott Bills Stoll & Meeks, LLP
Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP
Gavin Polone
Robins, Kaplan, Miller & Ciresi L.L.P.
Seyfarth Shaw
Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom, LLP
Janet Garrison-Swanson &
Michael Swanson
TM Financial Forensics
Turner Entertainment Networks
Vinson & Elkins LLP
John & Marilyn Wells
Bart Williams
Wolf, Rifkin, Shapiro, Schulman &
Rabkin,  LLP
WWE, inc